August 8th 2023 – Davis Bay, BC

Last night at Casa Kelly, William and Yolanda from Colombia checked in. They were on their way home after a 3 month trip around North America. It gave Katrine and me a much needed chance to practice our Spanish.

Kelly had created a track for us to follow when we left Prince George. It would take us south on mostly unpaved back roads. It was an amazing ride! A 50 kilometers detour through the forest because of a destroyed bridge only added to the fun.

In the afternoon we arrived at Chimney Lake where Richard and Cheryl from Bunk-a-Biker had agreed to host us. They received us with open arms and really made us feel welcome. After a swim in the lake, we enjoyed wine and snacks on the deck until dinner was ready. It’s hard to be a nomad.

It was a pleasure to spend time with and get to know our hosts. It was the first time we have used BaB,  but I’m sure it won’t be the last!

After a delicious breakfast it was time to tackle the second half of Kelly’s route south.

We hit the dirt soon after we left Chimney Lake. The roads were rougher than the previous day. After 100 miles/160 km we reached a paved road at Kelly Lake. It only lasted a few hundred meters. The next dirt section took us over a spectacular mountain pass before it spat us out on Hwy 99.

Hwy 99 to Lillooet was a hoot to ride. Fast flowing corners never get old!

We called it a day when we reached the BC Hydro campsite at Seton Lake. We made camp by Cayoosh Creek. The weather  was stifling hot and we took a dip. Luckily we didn’t learn until later that it was forbidden.

The alarm clock woke us up at 4 am. That allowed us to break camp before the rain began. Just as the bikes were packed it started dripping. The campsite entrance was blocked by a locked gate. It wouldn’t open until a couple of hours later. The embankment to one side of the gate wasn’t that steep. I decided to give it a go. Soon both bikes were past the gate and heading south on Hwy 99. It was now pouring down and as we gained altitude the temperatures dropped. It was a beautiful morning though. Traffic was very light due to the early hour.

As soon as we reached a town with a place that served breakfast we took a break to eat and warm up.
2 other riders on CRFs had come up with the same idea. We had a chat before they took off.

The weather improved during the day allowing us to let the Hondas rip. Hwy 99 is made for spirited riding.
At Horseshoe Bay we took the ferry to Langdale. The timing was perfect. We were waved to the front of the line just as the ferry arrived and rode aboard a few minutes later.

It marked the end of 3 amazing riding days. The roads have been a perfect mix of dirt and twisty tarmac. This is the kind of riding that we love.

 Tonight we are staying in Davis Bay where we have rented a small house opposite  Chapman Trail Park. Before dinner we went for a run through the park. It had some seriously challenging trails.

Late in the afternoon it started raining again. It should continue all night and into the morning. It’s nice to have a roof over our heads in this kind of weather.